Tetris Plus VS. Tetris: The Grandmaster 3 – Terror-Instinct? Our first Clash of the Classics for the autumn season might seem a bit redundant, but read on and you’ll learn why these games offer very different experiences!
Tetris Plus (Jaleco, 1990) offers a clever twist on the classic Tetris game play with the introduction of “Puzzle Mode”. Instead of just dropping blocks and clearing lines to score points and keep the level from topping out, you’re helping an intrepid explorer get to the bottom of the level and escape certain doom from the slowly lowering spiked ceiling. How? By dropping blocks and clearing lines, of course! Clear a path for the professor through four worlds, and you’ll reach the final stage, Atlantis. Of course, you can compete against a friend in “VS. Mode” as well! Tetris Plus’ Puzzle Mode is a great choice for anyone looking for a new Tetris challenge, and its cute and colorful graphics make it very approachable.
Tetris: The Grandmaster 3 – Terror-Instinct (Arika, 2005) has a lot going on beneath the surface. Again, you can start off with a pretty straightforward Tetris mode with “Easy” mode. Dig in deeper with “Sakura” mode, where you must focus on clearing special jeweled blocks in order to succeed. “Master” mode offers classic Tetris with the chance to become promoted (or demoted) with occasional challenge trials. You can try to make it to Grand Master, but don’t forget about the uniquely difficult “Shirase” mode, where the blocks appear almost immediately at the bottom of the screen, giving you mere moments to react and place them properly! Tetris: TGM3 is not often seen in the U.S., and it’s got quite a reputation among serious Tetris players.
So, when it comes to dropping blocks, there’s more than one difference between these two entries in the most successful puzzle game franchise ever. Which game do you prefer: The world-traveling action of Tetris Plus, or the intense strategy of Tetris: TGM3? You’ve got from today through Wednesday